shepherd



Flu-SHEPHERD INTERNAL COMBUSHON ENGINE,

APPLICATION FILED FEB.7,1918.

Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

v 2 SHEETSSHEET l- F. D. SHEPHERD. v INTERNAL comsusnom ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 7' l9l8.

PatentedSept. 30, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

i 1:; All-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

D. SHEPHERD, OF SALT LE CI, U1.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 30, 11.91%

Application filed February 7, 1918'. Serial No. 215,866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I FRANK D. SHEPHERD, of Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and in the State df Utah, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Internal Combustion Engines, and do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines of the class where the cylinder head is integral with the cylinder whether the L-head or the T-head type, and generally stated my object is to enable the spark plug to be located for center fire by a simple and readily accessible arrangement, and one which will not only not impair the efliciency of the cooling system, but will indeed promote the efliciency thereof, and my invention therefore consists in the construction substantially as hereinafter specified and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings;

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a multiple cylinder water-cooled gas engine embodying my invention, with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating a different construction;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Flg. 1; v

Fig. 4 is a similar section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a detail side View of the cover plate;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating my invention applied to an air-cooled engine- 4 Fig. 7 is a similar view showing a difi'erent form I of my invention applied to an air cooled engine;

In Figs. 1 to 4 I illustrate n1 invention as applied to an L-head four cy inder type, the cylinders being cast en bloc but it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to such particular construction, and cylinder 10 and head 11 are integral and provided with hollow walls to provide the water s ace 12. Opening laterally from the top 0 the cylinder is a port 13 which is under control of a puppet valve, such for example, as one of those of my patent No. 1240378 issued Sept. 18, 1917. and No. 1252501 issued January 8, 1918, but I do not limit my present invention to any particular type or construction of puppet valve. In the outer wall of the water jacket of the cylinder head is a hole or opening 14 through which projects from the inner Wall a goose-neck 16 the hole 14 and the goose-neck 16 being at the center of the cylinder, and the hole eing substan- 6o tially larger in size than the neck. Fitting over the hole 14 and covering or closing the same on the outside is a cover plate 17 which also passes over the outer end of the gooseneck 16 so that the latter projects above or as outside of said cover plate and u on its projecting portion which is threade is screwed a nut 18 which bears against the outer side of the cover plate and thereby serves to tightly clamp the latter against the outer to wall of the cylinder head. Between the cover plate and the adjacent raised surface of the cylinder head is interposed a gasket 19; and between the clamping nut 18' and the cover plate is interposed a gasket 20 W5 and preferably the latter engages a raised surface or bed 21 which besides forming a good bearin for the gasket also thickens the cover p ate and strengthens the same. Intermediate the holes for-the passage of the so goose-neck 16, the cover plate may be provided with any number of threaded holes 22 for connecting the water jacket with the I radiator or source of supply of cooling water, and preferably around each of said as openings is a raised rim or base 23 which is provided for the same reason that the similar construction is provided around the holes in the cover plate through which the gooseneck passes. At mid-length the cover plate on may have a rectangular raised base or tablet for fastening by screws or otherwise a name or patent plate 24.

The goose-necks 16 are openthroughout their length and from their inner ends out as ward are internally threaded to receive the threaded portion of spark plugs 25, and beyond the threaded portion the goose-neck is enlarged in diameter so as to provide a clear space around the spark plug.

The goose-neck may have the integral one part construction best illustrated in Fig. or it may have the two part construction best illustrated in Fig. 4 where it is removable, that is to say, the spark plug engagin we thread may as shown in Fig. 4 be provid in athimble 26 which is screwed into an internally threaded boss or nipple 27 proj ecting outward from the inner wall or shell of the cylinder head, but not reaching 11o through the opening in the cover plate, and the outer end of the nipple 2'? is engaged by periphery for the application of a wrench or turning tool to app y or remove the thimble from the nipple. A gasket 270 is interposedbetween the nipple 27 and the enlargement 28.

It" will be seen that by the construction illustrated in Figs 1 to 4: I provide a center .fire construction in a water cooled engine with a plurality of cylinders and at the same time provide for the ready and eificient closing by the cover plate of the opening in the outer wall or shell of the waterjacket.

In Figs. (Sand 7 I show my invention applied to an air cooled engine, the goose-neck or threaded extension from the cylinder head as well as the cylinder head being provided with external radiating fins or ribs 29, the construction shown in Fig 6' for the attachment of the spark plug being an integral one corresponding to that of- Fig. 3 while the construction shown in Fig. 7 is-a removable one corresponding with that shown in Fig. 4.

An important advantage from the removable thimble construction shown in Figs. 3 and 7 is that when the goose-neck or thimble is removed it provides a large opening into the gas chamber of the cylinder so that the latter is more accessible for cleaning, burning out carbon, etc.

The threaded hole in the goose-neck or thimble for receiving the spark plug may be cylindrical or tapering according to the style of spark plug that is used. I, of course, do not limit myself to any such detail as that because with the particular form of construction of spark plugmy invention is not concerned.

It will be seen that by my invention the advantageous center fire construction is simply and efliciently provided. The center fire construction is important and desirable because the gas is ignited from the center and therefore burns equally in all directions putting an even pressure upon the piston head so that the force is applied directly thereto and -to the crank producing more power and greater speed and saving unequal wear of the cylinder walls which results from eccentric firing by reason of the side blow or pressure to which the piston is subjected.

My invention is applicable to single cylinder, as well as multiple cylinder engines.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

c 1. An internal combustion engine provided with double walls to form a water jacket, the outer wall having an opening and the inner wall having a projection within said opening, a cover plate for said opening,

an internal opening to receive a spark plug.

3. An internal combustion engine having an opening through its head into the cylinder, and a thimble removably secured in said opening having an outwardly projecting flange on its outer end that overlaps the head adjacent said opening, said thimble having an internal opening to receive a spark plug,

the outer portion of said thimble opening enlarged and formed for engagement by a turning tool.

4. An internal combustion engine having an opening through its head into the cylinder, and a thimble removably secured in said opening having an outwardly projecting flange on its outer end that overlaps the head adjacent said opening, said thimble having an internal opening to ,receive a. spark plug, said thimble flange being externally threaded, a cover plate having a hole through which said flange projects, and a nut on the flange.

5. A multi-cylinder internal combustion engine each cylinder having an opening through its head, a thimble secured in said opening and havin at its outer end an externally threaded flange that overlaps the head adjacent said opening, a one piece cover plate provided with holes through which the respective thimble flanges project, and a nut on each flange, outside said plate.

6. An internal combustion engine and cylinder provided with double walls to form a water jacket, the outer wall having an opening and the inner wall having a centrally located spark plug receiving removable thimble entering an opening in said inner wall and that reaches beyond the outer wall, a cover'plate havin a hole through which said thimble passes, t e portion of said thimble throughout its length within the cover being of a size to pass through the cover hole, with the cover in place, and a clamping nut applied to the thimble outside the cover plate and engaging the latter. v

7. An internal combustion engine and cylinder provided with double walls to form a water jacket, the outer wall having an opening and the inner wall having a centrally located spark plug receiving removable thimble entering an opening in said inner wall and that reaches beyond the outer wall, a cover late having a hole through which said thlmble asses, the portion of said thimble throug out its length ing the latter, said cover plate having one or more holes for connecting the Water 10 jacket with a source of supply of Water.

8. An internal combustion engine and cylinder provided with double Walls to form a water jacket, the outer wall having an opening and the inner Wall having a cen-' trally located spark plug receiving removable thimble entering an opening in said inner Wall and that reaches beyond the outer Wall a cover plate having a hole through which said thimble passes, the portion of said thimble throughout its length within the cover being of a size to pass through the cover hole, with the cover in place, and a clamping nut. applied to the thlmble outside the cover plate and engagin the latter.

In testimony that I claim the? have hereunto set my hand.

FRANKD. SHEPHERD.

oregoing I 25 

